Roller mill for grain



P. Ml NTlRE 1 ROLLER MILL FOR GRAIN Oct. 22,1963

sheets s heet 1' Filed March 21, 1961 mwzNron PEARL M 4 4* R. MclNTlRE ATTORNEYS Oct. 22, 1963 R, MQNTIRE 3,107,869

ROLLER MILL FOR GRAIN Filed March 21, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 L IN VEN TOR. PEARL R. MclNTlRE ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,107,869 ROLLER MILL FOR GRAIN Pearl R. Mclntire, 1027 Chicago St, Salt Lake City, Utah Filed Mar. 21, 1961, Ser. No. 97,263 2 Claims. (Cl. 241-232) This invention relates to roller mills for grain and is particularly concerned with the mounting and control structure for the rolls of such mills.

Roller mills of the type concerned utilize pairs of very large and heavy, corrugated, iron or steel rolls mounted to rotate against each other during a milling operation and to be separated sufliciently to prevent their damaging each other when idling. The most satisfactory mills of this type accomplish separation of the rolls by means of what are known as throw-out cams. Such throw-out cams are themselves mounted in various ways in conjunction with threaded shaft and hand-wheel opera-ting mechanisms therefor.

With all mills of this type, it is necessary to periodically dismantle the machine and remove the rolls for renovation. This is an arduous task. Anything which facilitates roll removal and replacement contributes to economical mill operation.

A principal object of this invention is to so construct the roll-mounting and control structure as to significantly aid in roll removal and replacement and, at the same time, make for maximum solidity and working stability of the machine.

In the accomplishment of this object the throw-out shaft carrying the throw-out cam, and serving to separate and return the rolls when such cam is thrown from one position to another and vice versa, is mounted in upward, single, structural extensions of bearing structures for the respective rolls, the extensions of the bearing structures for the rearward rolls being directed rearwardly and serving to receive the throw-out cams at their upper ends, preferably by means of respective journal bearings which face upwardly and rearwardly.

There is shown in the accompanying drawings a specific embodiment of the invention representing what is presently regarded as the best mode of carrying it out in practice.

' In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a view in side elevation with the rolls in working position, the front of the machine being to the left;

FIG. 2, a rear elevation;

FIG. 3, a top plan;

FIG. 4, an opposite side elevation;

FIG. 5, a fragmentary vertical section taken on the line 55 of FIG. 2 and drawn to a considerably larger scale;

FIG. 6, a corresponding view, but taken on the line 6-6 of FIG. 2 and showing the rolls thrown to idling position; and

FIG. 7, a fragmentary section taken on the line 7-7 of FIG. 6.

Referring to the drawings:

In the specific form illustrated, the mill comprises a base frame 10, fabricated from structural steel and providing a firm support for the working mechanism. Rising upwardly from such base frame is a housing 1.1, which includes a lower portion 11a containing the rolls and an upper portion 1-1b in the form of a grain supply hopper.

The rolls are of customary type, including a front roll 12, FIGS. 5 and 6, on a pivoted or swinging mount and a rear roll 13 on a firm or stationary mount. Both rolls have stub shafts, 12a, 12b, and 13a, 13b, respectively, which extend through housing portion 11a for support in hearing structure to be described. The rolls are driven 3,107,859 Patented Get. 22, 1963 ICE 2 in common by a drive shaft 14 having a drive pulley 15 connected in drive relationship with pulleys 16 and 17 fixed to stub shafts 12b and 13b, respectively, by means of V-bel-ts 18.

The stub shafits 12a and 12b of front roll 12 are journaled by hearing structures 19 at respectively opposite sides of the machine, such bearing structures being pivotally mounted at 19a to bases '20 removably secured, as by bolting, to base frame d0. *Bearing snuctures 19 have single, upward, integral extensions 21, through the upper ends of which freely pass threaded throw-out shafts 22, respectively, one at each side of the machine.

The stub shafts 13a and 13b of rear roll 13- are journaled by hearing structures 23 at respectively opposite sides of the machine, which are firmly secured to base frame 10 by means of integral mounting bases 24 removably secured, as by lbolting, to frame 10. Each of the rear or stationary bearing structures 23 has an upward and rearward, integral extension 25, which terminates at its upper end in cam-mounting means for a cam 26 carried by the rear end of the corresponding throw-out shaft 22. Such c am-mounting means preferably take the form of journal bearings 27 for cam stub shafts 26a, the lower pillow block 27a of each bearing being formed integrally with an extension 25 and the upper pillow block 27b being formed as a separate piece.

Each throw-out shaft 22 is operably coupled to one of the forward, pivoted hearing structures 19 by means of adjustment nuts 28, threaded on the shaft and normally bearing against the rear face of bearing structure extension 21, and by means of a spring 29 interposed between the forward face of such extension 21 and a handwheel 30 which is threaded on the forward end of the throw-out shaft.

While minor adjustments in working closeness of the rolls, one to another, are accomplished by turning the nuts 28 in one direction or the other, separation of the rolls from working to idling position and return of same to working position are achieved :by throwing the cams 27. For this purpose, such cams are provided with respective cam sleeves 31 secured to the rear ends of throwout shafts 22, respectively, and are further provided with throw levers 32, respectivel for enabling the cams to be normally thrown forward-1y and rearwardly as in dicated in FIGS. 5 and 6, thereby throwing throw-out shafts 22, forward bearing structures 19, and forward roll 12 correspondingly relative to rear roll 13, which remains stationary.

' In the dismantling of the machine for removal and renovation of the rolls, the cams 26 are easily detached from the rear bearing structures, and throw-out shafts 22 are easily removed from the machine by withdrawal following unscrewing of handwheels 30 from such shafts. Thereafter, both sets of bearing structures 19 and 23 are easily removed from the machine, followed by easy removal of the rolls 12 and 13.

For facilitating dismantling and for properly resisting operating stresses, it is preferred that the pillow-blockformed upper ends 27a of hearing structure extensions 25 be angularly disposed, facing upwardly and rearwardlyas shown, FIGS. 6 and 7.

Whereas there is here illustrated and described a certain preferred construction of apparatus which I presently regard as the best mode of carrying out my invention, it should be understood that various changes may be made without departing from the inventive concepts particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed herebelow.

I claim:

1. A roller mill for grain, comprising a base frame; a pair of rolls rotatably mounted on said frame in close parallel relationship, said rolls having stub shafts projecting axially at opposite ends thereof; bearing structures mounted on said frame at respectively opposite ends of the forward roll for movement transversely of the roll axis, said structures including respective bases firmly 'hult removably. secured to said base frame and respective. bearings pivotally mounted on said bases, the stub shafts of said roll being journaled in said bearings; bearing structures mounted on said firarne at respectively opposite ends of the rearward roll, .these structures including respective hases firmly but removably secured to said base frame and respective bearings rigidly secured to the bases, and journaling the stub shafts; screw-threaded shafits extending transversely of said rolls at respectively opposite ends thereof and above said bearing structures; upward, single, integral extensions of the pivoted hearing structures through which freely pass threaded portions of .said shafts; upward and rearward, single, integral extensions of the firmly mounted bearing structures having split cam-mounting means formed in their upper ends; cams rotatably secured to the rearward ends of said shafts on axes extending transversely thereof, said cams being received by one split face of said cam-mounting means; adjustment nuts threaded on said shafts, respectively, and bearing against the rear faces of said extensions of the pivoted bearing structures; reaction means threaded on the forward ends of said shaft-s, respectively; resilient means interposed between said reaction means and the a 4 forward faces of said extensions of the pivoted bearing structures; means for throwing said cams forwardly andrearwardly relative to their mountings, so as to throw the forward, pivotally mounted roll away from and back to, respectively, the firmly mounted roll; means for feed-" ing grain between said rolls; and means for rotating saidrolls. a

, 2. The roller mill of claim I, wherein the cams are provided with oppositely extending stub shafts for mount ing purposes; the extensions of the firmly mounted bearing structures have theirupper ends formed as journal bearings for receiving the cam shafts, each journal hear: ing comprising a pillow block integral with the corresponding extension and disposed at an angle facing rearwardly, and an associated pillow block formed as a sepa rate piece and secured to the first pillow block.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS I 22,895 Gray Dec. 23, 1879 266,152 Holt 0 01:. 17, 1882 1,579,998 Becker Apr. 6,;192 6 FOREIGN PATENTS 7 22,018 Great Britain of 19 183,215

Great Britain July 14,1922 

1. A ROLLER MILL FOR GRAIN, COMPRISING A BASE FRAME; A PAIR OF ROLLS ROTATABLY MOUNTED ON SAID FRAME IN CLOSE PARALLEL RELATIONSHIP, SAID ROLLS HAVING STUB SHAFTS PROJECTING AXIALLY AT OPPOSITE ENDS THEREOF; BEARING STRUCTURES MOUNTED ON SAID FRAME AT RESPECTIVELY OPPOSITE ENDS OF THE FORWARD ROLL FOR MOVEMENT TRANSVERSELY OF THE ROLL AXIS, SAID STURCTURES INCLUDING RESPECTIVE BASES FIRMLY BUT REMOVABLY SECURED TO SAID BASE FRAME AND RESPECTIVE BEARINGS PIVOTALLY MOUNTED ON SAID BASES, THE STUB SHAFTS OF SAID ROLL BEING JOURNALED IN SAID BEARINGS; BEARING STRUCTURES MOUNTED ON SAID FRAME AT RESPECTIVELY OPPOSITE ENDS OF THE REARWARD ROLL, THESE STRUCTURES INCLUDING RESPECTIVE BASES FIRMLY BUT REMOVABLY SECURED TO SAID BASE FRAME AND RESPECTIVE BEARINGS RIGIDLY SECURED TO THE BASES AND JOURNALING THE STUB SHAFTS; SCREW-THREADED SHAFTS EXTENDING TRANSVERSELY OF SAID ROLLS AT RESPECTIVELY OPPOSITE ENDS THEREOF AND ABOVE SAID BEARING STRUCTURES; UPWARD SINGLE, INTEGRAL EXTENSION OF THE PIVOTED BEARING STRUCTURES THROUGH WHICH FREELY PASS THREADED PORTIONS OF SAID SHAFTS; UPWARD AND REARWARD, SINGLE, INTEGRAL EXTENSIONS OF THE FIRMLY MOUNTED BEARING STRUCTURES HAVING SPLIT CAM-MOUNTING MEANS FORMED IN THEIR UPPER ENDS; CAMS ROTATABLY SECURED TO THE REARWARD ENDS OF SAID SHAFTS ON AXES EXTENDING TRANSVERSELY THEREOF, SAID CAMS BEING RECEIVED BY ONE SPLIT FACE OF SAID CAM-MOUNTING MEANS; ADJUSTMENT NUTS THREADED ON SAID SHAFTS, RESPECTIVELY, AND BEARING AGAINST THE REAR FACES OF SAID EXTENSIONS OF THE PIVOTED BEARING STRUCTURES; REACTION MEAN THREADED ON THE FORWARD ENDS OF SAID SHAFTS RESPECTIVELY; RESILIENT MEANS INTERPOSED BETWEEN SAID REACTION MEANS AND THE FORWARD FACES OF SAID EXTENSIONS OF THE PIVOTED BEARING STRUCTURES; MEANS FOR THROWING SAID CAMS FORWARDLY AND REARWARDLY RELATIVE TO THEIR MOUNTINGS, SO AS TO THROW THE FORWARD, PIVOTALLY MOUNTED ROLL AWAY FROM AND BACK TO, RESPECTIVELY, THE FIRMLY MOUNTED ROLL; MEANS FOR FEEDING GRAIN BETWEEN SAID ROLLS; AND MEANS FOR ROTATING SAID ROLLS. 